When we spoke about famous exchangeable prisoners (political, military, police and governmental dignitaries that have been kidnapped and that, according to the guerrilla, could be exchanged by FARC captives), one of the guerrilla told me: "You should be grateful for not being one of those exchangeable people, because if you were, we would have taken you with them already." And where are they? I asked. "On that side of the frontier."
I told him how could it be possible that such as honest person like former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, known also by her fight against corruption, remains kidnapped. He answered that she was a big shot that would be released only when an exchange law is passed. They never said the exact location of the exchangeable prisoners. But we can presume that the place should be between Venezuelan Zulia and Táchira states. Once, they said that it is possible to go to the Venezuelan zone called Machiques through Sabana Rubia, in Colombian Codazzi municipality. ***
The decision to free businessman Carlos Fernandez was a blow to Chavez's efforts to punish the leaders of the crippling general strike in December and January that slashed oil output and exports by the world's No. 5 petroleum exporter. The court ruled that 52-year-old Fernandez, who faces rebellion charges, should be released from house arrest because prosecutors had not complied with correct procedures. "He is completely free," appeals judge Luis Lecuna told reporters.
Fernandez was taken from his home in Valencia, west of Caracas, to hospital late Wednesday suffering from a heart condition. Lecuna said he could still face prosecution for his role in leading the strike that fizzled out early last month after failing to force Chavez to resign. Earlier this week, an appeals court annulled arrest orders against seven former executives of the state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), whom Chavez had accused of disrupting and sabotaging national oil production during the strike.
Another strike leader, union boss Carlos Ortega, has been granted asylum by Costa Rica and is waiting in the Costa Rican embassy in Caracas to travel to the Central American country, Chavez, who was first elected in 1998 and whose current term ends in 2007, has refused opposition calls for early elections. [End]